Communication Issues for Researchers

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Communication Issues for Researchers
A scientific researcher faces many obstacles while trying to conduct a research project. The researcher’s inability to communicate clearly what he or she is trying to do can result in difficulties throughout the process. Grant applications to fund projects and scientific papers to document results are often as important as the work itself. Besides standard written documentation and applications, a researcher will develop oral presentations for various stakeholders as part of the process. PowerPoint slide decks and scientific posters will also be developed to support discussion with visual media. This paper will address some of the problems that researchers face in successfully communicating their work to their audiences – collaborative groups of research team members, funding source administrators, institutional leadership and support, research colleagues in their respective fields, the general public and more Lack of communication, miscommunication, or poor communication will negatively affect the research endeavor as a whole, and have a consequential impact on the health of our global society. Poor communication from researchers is relevant and worthy of consideration.
Defining Researcher Communication Issues.
Rubenson (2013) points to several problems leading to communication issues including lack of preparation by overcommitted researchers, massive growth in the biomedical research enterprise, pressure to produce multiple publications, and vocabularies created by highly specialized language among sub-disciplines. In one of his examples of communication issues among peers, Rubenson points to the poorly prepared slides and rushed presentations of researchers that only they can unders...

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...ieved from http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34196/title/Opinion--Communication-Crisis-in-Research/
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